ATOMIC: World Premiere Musical

Dreamingful Productions present the world premiere of ATOMIC, promising ‘an explosive high-energy musical that throws open the doors on a pivotal moment in history – the creation of the atom bomb’.

Written by Danny Ginges (Australia) and Gregory Bonsignore (USA) with music by Philip Foxman, the show will be directed by Damien Gray (USA) and presented at the NIDA Parade Theatres from 16 – 30 November 2013.

It's 1939 and the free world is fighting for its life. Heading the charge is the brilliant scientist Leo Szilard, who is torn between the woman he loves and the desperate need to maintain secrecy and beat Germany to the bomb. As the war draws to a climax, Szilard realizes that using the bomb will not only weaken America’s moral position, it will set a terrible precedent for future wars. The bomb must be stopped, whatever the personal cost. Featuring a creative team drawn together from across the globe and an ensemble of performers including Michael Falzon, Bronwyn Mulcahy and David Whitney, the producers of ATOMIC promise it will ‘surprise and delight audiences as its high-energy original score perfectly complements this extraordinary story of love, faith and the bomb’.

For ATOMIC writer Danny Ginges, the story has been percolating for many years. “When I was young I’d read anything I could find, including my parents’ copy of The New Family Physician. One chapter, Protecting Yourself Against An Atomic Bomb, absolutely terrified me. Decades later that fear prompted me to read up on the bomb’s history. There was one physicist whose name kept reappearing – Leo Szilard. A Hungarian Jew like my grandfather, I was inspired by Szilard’s wit, his perseverance and his unshakable moral compass. But I was disturbed that I’d never heard of him. Neither had anyone I spoke to. Yet it was Szilard more than anyone who had made the bomb possible. I felt his story needed to be told and as time passed, that perhaps I was the one to tell it.”

Director Damien Gray is excited to be involved in the creation of this brand new production. “I am always pulled to stories with an epic scope that span the years and involve a high stakes battle of wills. Bringing to life a story that moves through such crucial high pressure moments of history while trying to balance the simple story of unconditional love is our challenge.”

And how will audiences respond to the work? Gray believes, “They will be swept up in the energy and tension of it all. I believe in theater that envelopes you and becomes a completely viscerally subjective viewing experience. Also, new musicals are vital and absolutely necessary.“ Ginges agrees, “You will laugh. You will cry. You will want to get up and dance. The set will amaze you. The story will astound you. The music will get inside you and possess you. The theatricality will knock you to the floor. NIDA is a small theatre but this is a big show. It will blow the roof off.”